Nick (Bacon) is a successful businessman with a model family: sexy, loving wife (Preston) and two extremely well-adjusted teen sons (Lafferty and Garrett). One night he's out with the older one, talking about his future as a pro hockey player, when they stumble into a robbery that's actually a grisly initiation rite for a young thug (O'Leary) whose brother Billy (Hedlund) runs their gang. Nick's life is shattered, and when the legal system fails him, he reluctantly begins take things into his own hands.

The film's opening section is so idyllic that we know something awful is on the way. From the Saw franchise, director Wan knows how to carefully set up vicious mayhem, and continually he unsettles us before leading into the full force of viciousness. The film is a rollercoaster of violence and calm, nasty retribution and brief pauses where we can catch our breath. It's utterly gripping, even when it begins to feel corny.

Bacon throws his acting muscle at the role, making Nick into a haunted, driven man who's even more shocked at his own capacity for violence than at what is inflicted on him. His odyssey gets increasingly unbearable as he drifts out of Death Wish territory into Die Hard desperation and ultimately Rambo-like single-mindedness. Meanwhile, Hedlund is a strong match for his fierce energy, as is Goodman in a rare villainous role.

Throughout the film, Wan wisely keeps the camera on Bacon's face, where the descent to brutality is even more present than in the lurid sets and desaturated colours. And if we haven't got it by then, he adds a few not-so-subliminal bits of graffiti ("Welcome to hell") and branding ("Could U"). And even a tell-tale wound that taunts Nick with his evil deeds. From here it's not too far to goofy overstatement, improbable plotting and an overwrought finale. But at least Wan keeps the atmosphere utterly gruelling all the way.

themes, strong language, grisly violence

28.Aug.07